Shrek Academy Was Actually a Pyramid Scheme

Zhou Yi pointed at the Iron Clothes on the ground. "The next lesson is to put these on and run laps around the square until class ends. You may use Soul Power, but not soul skills. I'll rank you by the number of laps you complete. The last-place student will be expelled from my class."

"There's one thing I need to emphasize. In my class, people aren't eliminated only during assessments. Someone can be eliminated at any time. Today, one more person will be eliminated."

As she spoke, Zhou Yi flicked her toe and sent an Iron Clothes garment tumbling before Huo Yuhao.

When they heard Zhou Yi mention expelling another student, the students were no longer afraid. Instead, their indignation flared. They all stared at Zhou Yi, and not a single one went to put on the Iron Clothes. Just like that, they confronted her.

This time, Huo Yuhao did not take the lead, but everyone in New Student Class One had spontaneously united to confront Zhou Yi. Huo Yuhao was not surprised.

That was how it worked when fear ruled people's hearts. Once someone took the lead in resisting and succeeded, everyone would rebound with resistance. Unless you could make them fear you again, that resistance would continue until tyranny was overthrown.

Seeing the motionless students, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. Although she was surprised this had happened, it was exactly what she wanted.

She had already been dissatisfied that she had failed to establish her authority that morning. The current situation was perfect for her to assert her authority once more and complete what she had failed to accomplish earlier.

Zhou Yi believed that as long as she displayed her strength again, along with the authority Shrek Academy granted its teachers, she could force these students into submission.

Zhou Yi snorted coldly as six Soul Rings rose beneath her feet. She barked, "What are you all staring at me for? What, are you all going to resist the teaching of your Class Teacher?"

After forcing nearly all the students to lower their heads, Zhou Yi shifted her gaze to Huo Yuhao and said coldly, "Huo Yuhao, didn't you say you would fulfill your duties as a student? As the Class Monitor, why aren't you quickly leading everyone in running? You wouldn't want to come in last, would you?"

Those words were both a warning and a reminder. In any case, those with strong physiques could not possibly come in last and would not be eliminated. Why did Huo Yuhao need to stand up for those with weak physiques? And why did those with strong physiques need to stand up for the weak?

Upon hearing this, several of the students already suppressed by Zhou Yi began to waver. But they did not move. They still wanted to see what Huo Yuhao would do first. After all, Huo Yuhao had successfully resisted this Extinction Master once before, hadn't he?

Huo Yuhao naturally understood the meaning behind Zhou Yi's words. But his goal had never been to remain at Shrek Academy. It was to gain a group of people willing to follow him. Therefore, standing up for the weak and speaking out for fairness was the best way to win people's hearts.

Huo Yuhao fearlessly met Zhou Yi's sharp, imposing gaze and said in a deep voice, "Teacher Zhou Yi, I said I would fulfill my duties as a student on the premise that you fulfilled your duties as a teacher. May I ask, Teacher, have you fulfilled your duties as a teacher?"

"Am I not fulfilling a teacher's duties right now?" Zhou Yi retorted coldly.

Looking at Huo Yuhao, who showed not the slightest fear of her, Zhou Yi could not help but feel a headache coming on.

She could do nothing to Huo Yuhao now. She could not expel him, nor could she force him into submission. As for making Huo Yuhao fear her? Recalling the feeling that had made her both love and fear him that morning, Zhou Yi instead felt a trace of fear toward Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao sneered. "So what have you taught the students, Teacher? How to expel people?"

"Isn't it only natural that trash who come in last even in running should be eliminated?"

Huo Yuhao found it somewhat amusing. "So, Teacher Zhou Yi, is your actual profession not teacher but examiner? You eliminate students before even teaching them anything. Is there really such a teacher?"

If Zhou Yi had properly taught the students in the class and someone had then been eliminated during the New Student Assessment, Huo Yuhao naturally would have had no issue with her. But what had she done? She expelled students on the first day of school, and afterward, her teaching consisted of nothing but running. What use was a teacher like that? Tie up a dog and have it watch the students run, and it could do better than she did while causing far less trouble.

Zhou Yi sneered. "Expelling students is a power the academy grants every teacher. Every teacher can expel students. I do this to urge those who remain to work harder."

"I know everyone is dissatisfied with me expelling students, but Shrek Academy has always been like this. Survival of the fittest. Only geniuses can study at the academy! Although I truly am the teacher who has expelled the most students, the other teachers have expelled quite a few as well."

Huo Yuhao suddenly understood something.

That was right. Expelling students was a power granted by Shrek Academy. Rather than saying Zhou Yi alone was like this, it would be more accurate to say that all of Shrek Academy was like this.

Why would Shrek Academy delegate such authority to Class Teachers? Shrek Academy was probably able to gain some other benefits from it.

Shrek Academy had always been known for its high elimination rate. The New Student Assessment admitted over a thousand students, then after three months of running, more than half were eliminated through the assessment. After that came bottom-rank eliminations, advancement assessments, and layer upon layer of selection. It was already considered good if a quarter of them managed to graduate. Rather than cultivating students, Shrek Academy was raising poisonous insects in a jar.

Wasn't this model remarkably similar to Zhou Yi's teaching methods? Zhou Yi merely intensified the elimination process. It was clear from the Original Work that Shrek Academy had completely acquiesced to Zhou Yi's teaching style. Judging from how students like Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who did not know the specific details, constantly praised Zhou Yi, Shrek Academy had even actively promoted her, making Zhou Yi a representative figure among Outer Court teachers.

As for the claim that Zhou Yi had the highest Inner Court advancement rate, that was only useful for publicity, to fool outsiders who did not know the actual numbers. Who among those inside, who knew the real data, did not understand the truth? Even elementary school students would not be fooled by such figures unless they were idiots. Could Shrek Academy's upper management all be idiots?

When Huo Yuhao thought more carefully about his experiences at Shrek Academy in the Original Work, he was startled. Weren't his experiences at Shrek Academy in the Original Work extremely similar to being in a pyramid scheme organization?

The moment he enrolled, Shrek Academy's internal fanatic worship of its founders and praise of Shrek Academy brainwashed him once.

Then came the teachers' suppression, making students compete with one another, compare themselves against one another, and eliminate one another—methods commonly used by pyramid schemes to brainwash students.

Then they used rewards such as core student status to win over the students.

Afterward, Huo Yuhao suffered suppression and unfair treatment from the academy. During that time, some played the good cop while others played the bad cop, manipulating him. Then, through his own efforts, Huo Yuhao earned the academy's recognition. Yet throughout that process, he had invested energy, emotions, time, and other costs into the academy. By the time he gained the academy's recognition, he had also come to identify with it and had been brainwashed even further.

Finally came the All-Continent Academy Tournament. Externally, there was pressure from other academies and forces. Internally, everyone united and fought for Shrek's glory, while receiving the academy's thoughtful rewards. Thus, when Shrek Academy won the tournament championship and Huo Yuhao became one of the Lifelong Shrek Seven Devils, the Huo Yuhao of the Original Work had been completely and utterly brainwashed!

So Shrek Academy was actually a pyramid scheme organization? And Outer Court teachers served the same purpose as the minor leaders in those pyramid schemes?

Huo Yuhao had finally completely seen through Shrek's methods!